David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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The Minister for Education and Skills has proposed to develop a technological university for the south east. We need joined-up thinking on this between his Department and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation whose Minister chairs the unemployment forum for the south east. If the region gets a technological university, it has to be about job creation. That comes back to Deputy Tóibín's earlier question to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. What type of and how many jobs are we looking to create in this area? How can policy be joined up between the two Departments? How can we deal with the concentration of tech jobs in Dublin, Cork and Galway and ensure they are spread more evenly between the regions?

Last week we had several presentations from the third and fourth level education sectors. They made observations on the all-Ireland nature of this area. First, there is not a level playing field for A-level students from the North. The maximum number of points they can get through their A-levels is 450 which is prohibits them availing of courses in the South. In the North, ICT skills are a module at GCSE, general certificate of secondary education, level. We would need a similar module at second level, if not at primary level, in this State.

How do the long-term unemployed fit into this? Structural unemployment has been seen by the Government as a priority issue. We have many unemployed aged between 30 and 50 years who came out of construction or manufacturing. Where do they sit in this policy of creating new jobs and opportunities?